I don't know about you guys, but I haven't enjoyed breaking down youtube videos of prospects as much this year as I usually do. I think part of it is because good players are a lot more fun because you think your stumbling across the next steal in the draft (Russell Wilson, Doug Martin, Lavonte David, Robert Turbin, Bruce Irvin back when everyone thought he'd be a 3rd rounder, etc). And this year's draft has had a lot of underwhelming prospects, especially at Seattle's biggest areas of need on defense. But I started to realize, maybe I just really enjoy breaking down certain positions more?

For example, I've always loved watching tape for RBs. I'm not exactly sure why, I guess it's because RBs are so explosive and exciting. Watching a RB run for 130 yards on 22 carries is more exciting for me than watching a QB throw for 300 yards.

QBs are a lot of fun too, because so many of them are ironically undervalued. Discovering Chandler Harnish and Russell Wilson out of the blue last year was pretty awesome. Much like RB, mobile QBs can be a lot of fun to watch because they are so explosive and creative.

OL can be a lot of fun too. Specifically the run blocking aspect. Seeing a lineman maul dudes over and open up a 40 yard TD is pretty kickass.

I generally don't like scouting defense unless the player is good. A dominant DT is probably my favorite player to watch on defense, although unfortunately many dominant college DTs just are not the same in the NFL (Brian Price broke my heart). I do like scouting big DBs for our scheme. Feels like I am finding hidden gold every time I see a 6'2" corner that can move.

I don't really scout other than a quick, cursory eyeball test of the clips that jmpasq & rob put up, as well as Matt Waldman, but I agree about RBs. I have particularly enjoyed watching Eddie Lacy this year. I wonder if Denver, Green Bay or Atlanta might be interested in him as I think he'd be a real difference maker on those teams.

QB's are fun to watch I think because as you watch and grow as a fan you get to see so many of them, camera is always focused on them and they are easier to dissect and you have a body of work to compare them to. RB's also get a lot of camera time and you learn to look for characteristics that seperate them regardless of style.

Lineman are much harder for me, I never played the position and have a harder time picking up the subtleties, after a while of focus on one guy you can see what makes them good and or less successful but it's not exactly my thing.

WR'S and DB'S is where I played, I see things quicker by knowing some of the tells each position can give as well as see how footwork and balance plays into both of them, also reads and position of the defense and or how the receiver sets and what the CB will tell as far as what they are giving you.

To Be P/C or Not P/C That is the Question..........Seahawks kick Ass !!!! Check your PM's, Thank you for everything Radish RIP My Friend. Member of the 38 club.

I'll always watch secondary leagues (UFL, WFL, AFL, CFL) solely for the QB's. Its always fun to see some QB I was forced to watch from Northwestern, or something, tearing up CanHawk's Winnepeg Jets. That's mostly because I'm not educated in the ways of scouting, so I must go but gut feel. QB's are the easiest position to judge that way.

QB is probably the best position to scout by "feel". If a QB looks good, looks smooth, checks through reads, and doesn't have any physical red flags, typically you have yourself a good QB prospect. Last year I saw several quality QB prospects get snubbed for the pettiest of reasons. Thankfully, RW was not one of them.

I think for every Brady, Wilson, Garcia, etc you have 5 more QBs that could be NFL surprises that never get a real chance. It's not exactly a coincidence that we have more franchise QBs today than we had 10 or 20 years ago. As evaluation and coaching improves, more QBs get the opportunities they deserve. Still has a long way to go though. If team's copy Seattle's model and more overlooked QBs get their shot, I could easily see an NFL with 32 franchise QBs in the next few decades.

Marques Tui was one I truly believed was going to tear it up. I still think it was due to the organization which drafted him. Gruden drafted him, the Gruden got traded. After that, the Raiders never sniffed competence, sans Cable's last year. I remember on FOX Jimmy Johnson said "the Raiders had a QB who could play in Marques, but messed it up". Hearing that made me feel a bit better.

Tui is basically 90% the QB that Kaepernick is, and while Kaepernick is not a "sexy" QB, he puts up numbers. Unfortunately for Tui, he was born about 10-15 years too early. Tui was a 2nd round pick by Jon Gruden, which speaks volumes. Then Gruden left and Tui never really got a shot.

I never thought Tui would be an elite NFL QB, but I do think in today's NFL he could have had a very different NFL career.

Tui got drafted by a team that had no line, no running game and went thru QB's like a fox in a hen house becuase of wanting an instant gratification after Gruden left and they hit cap hell. When they did put him in he was slaughtered and was getting the crap kicked out of him. They still had Tim Brown then and a couple other guys but none of the QB's on the roster could make anything work with zero blocking and time.

To Be P/C or Not P/C That is the Question..........Seahawks kick Ass !!!! Check your PM's, Thank you for everything Radish RIP My Friend. Member of the 38 club.

ImTheScientist wrote:This guy is the closest thing to beast mode we will ever see. You got a glimpse of that yesterday. He was instantly my favorite player when they signed him. Give the dude a chance and don't overreact or overthink preseason. Go Hawks. Lacy will rush for 1,100 and 10TDs. Bend the knee.

OT, partially because I have scouted more OTs than any other position, but also because they're in every play and yet usually a position you can scout quickly (all the note-taking and charting I do on QBs is painfully slow).

DT is probably my second favorite. Takes a little longer than OT, but I probably have my highest "hit" rate at DT. Safety is my least favorite, because of how much you can't see. Oddly enough, I like scouting WRs despite that (although All-22 film makes a huge difference).

Sarlacc, on comparing .NET to Soccer: And why not? It's a bunch of people running around in circles, feigning pain, and never scoring.